The Matehun Mayelagu Bridge in Gbendembu Chiefdom, Bombali District, that is located close to Gbendembu Town on the Makeni-Kamakwie highway is not only a literal death trap it is also a source of local and national embarrassment, a fatal comedy of errors, and a verdict against the Maada Bio regime for neglect of duty and campaign promises.
The condition of the bridge is so appalling that residents of Gbendembu Chiefdom and all who have gone through the arduous task of making the crossing say it is a life threatening ordeal.
But every day, young bike riders and others who are seriously desperate to get across from one side of the river to the other side make the life threatening crossing sometimes on their motorbikes or with the said bikes carried on the shoulders of four or more young men who make the crossing hauling the bike with load in tow over the other side of the riverbank.
Residents of the district who say they are hopeful that the bridge will one day be fixed – “although we don’t expect president Bio to do it for us” – are calling on the government, the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party, civil society and members of the international community to be aware of the death trap in Makeni that desperate people who are eager to move their goods and services across the river are using every day risking health, life and or limb.
“The bridge looks like something out of a horror movie; one has to see it to believe it. What has really upset the citizens of Gbendembu town, that carries the same name as the chiefdom is that ever since president Maada Bio took over as head of state in 2018 promising massive infrastructural development projects and other job making activities, projects, and programmes for youth employment, no one has lifted a finger to fix this bridge that is a critical source of livelihood for the people of Makeni,” upset residents of Makeni informed this medium.
Nightwatch was informed that no matter the weather cars or other heavy vehicles are unable to cross the narrow bridge that looks big enough to accommodate only one motorbike with its rider and passengers at a time or per crossing.
“As you can see from the video on Facebook and social media is that there is the main bridge that is unusable or impassable for cars and trucks. The supplementary bridge set up that was put up as a means of improvising is made up of wooden slates that don’t even cover the entire area as towards the end you see the crossing ends and the motorbike and those young boys who walked across having to speed up more just to clear the makeshift bridge while those on foot had to jump to get to the other side of the bridge,” one of the concerned residents of Gbendembu Chiefdom observed.
Residents of the town in Makeni say because of the condition of the bridge nobody attempts to use it during the rainy season, “not pregnant women, not the injured, not school children or workers,” adding: “Everybody stay put!”
Speaking to one of the Councillors in the area he told nightwatch that the dilapidated bridge is not fit for use by humans, going as far as saying “not even animals should be forced to cross that river on that bridge.”
“The Matehu Mayelagu Bridge in Gbendembu Chiefdom, Bombali District is a spectacular display of government neglect of not only a campaign promise but also a whole people, chiefdom, and district. The bridge is a source of constant embarrassment for us especially when outsiders have to experience this. It is also a shame when those who had been overseas for a long time come home only to experience this. Many of the JCs will complain that the bridge was in a better condition when they last saw it decades ago than its present condition. The condition of this bridge looks like something straight out of ‘period film’ dealing with pre-independence Sierra Leone. The bridge looks like a relic from some bygone era. It is an insult to us as a people and a serious embarrassment. Although the president promised to fix roads across the country we can see that going on eight years after 2018 president Bio has failed the people of Makeni by neglecting this bridge,” the councillor informed this medium.
Meanwhile, residents of Bombali District that use the Matehu Mayelagu Bridge in Gbendembu Chiefdom complained that they have no choice despite the hazards associated with making the crossing but to use the bridge to get across, risking life and limb.
“Fixing this bridge is not about politics. As president of the Republic it is Bio’s duty to fix bridges across the country. Last time we checked Kamalo and Kamakwie are still part of Sierra Leone so it is the president’s duty to fix this mess. But the real problem here is that the neglect of this bridge is a fundamental flaw in how our party led government regimes work here in Sierra Leone. Was this bridge neglected because it is in the north, which is not a traditional SLPP stronghold? Is Makeni still not part of the Sierra Leone map? The president took an oath to protect the constitution and people. How is he fulfilling this promise after neglecting the Matehu Mayelagu Bridge in Gbendembu Chiefdom, Bombali District for over seven years?” one of the chiefdom residents asked nightwatch.
To the Sierra Leonean citizens who have to contend with being swept away by a raging river making the crossing at the Matehu Mayelagu Bridge, they say they have no choice but to compete with the fishes daily to eke a living despite all that is stacked up against them moving from one point of the chiefdom to the other.
“Almost all our road infrastructure needs some serious overhauling. If development is going to come Bombali District let it start with the Mayelagu Bridge. If and when they fix this death trap we call a bridge, then we know that real development has started,” a resident of Gbendembu Chiefdom concluded. Lonta!